Brassiere cup, manufacturing apparatus and method of brassiere cup

ABSTRACT

A molded brassiere cup manufacturing apparatus includes a wound roller for consecutively supplying upper and lower cloths and a reinforcing pad cloth interleaved between the upper and lower cloths, a puncturing unit for puncturing at least one position checking hole at a predetermined position of the cloth supplied from the wound roller, a molding unit having upper and lower molding casts formed in correspondence with a predetermined bust shape, a cooling unit having upper and lower cooling casts, a cutting unit having first upper and lower cutting casts formed in correspondence with a predetermined bust shape and second upper and lower cutting casts formed in correspondence with a predetermined reinforcing pad to be placed at a lower portion of the predetermined bust shape, wherein the molding unit, the cooling unit, and the cutting unit each have at least one sensor for detecting the position checking hole at the side thereof opposite to the cloth.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean PatentApplication No. 10-2005-0048441 filed in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office on Jun. 7, 2005, the entire contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a brassiere cup and a manufacturingapparatus and method thereof, and more particularly, the presentinvention relates to a molded brassiere cup having a reinforcing pad ata predetermined portion between upper and lower pads and a manufacturingapparatus and method thereof.

Generally, a brassiere has been used as a woman's undergarment toprotect the bust, as well as to beautifully shape the bust. Recently,various brassieres have been developed to have various functions anddesigns.

Such brassieres may have a bra cup formed by tailoring a cloth and, ifnecessary, inserting a pad, such as cotton, sponge, or an air bag,therein and sewing, or may have a bra cup formed by molding a bra cupwith a pad and a cloth at once.

A manufacturing method of the molded bra cup has been widely used tomanufacture various brassieres, for example, a soft bra, a minimizerbra, a full cup bra, and a seamless bra, to provide good shaping. Themolded bra cup is subject to mass-production.

In more detail, as shown in FIG. 1A to FIG. 1C, a conventionalmanufacturing apparatus of the brassiere cup may include a first cast,which is concave in correspondence with a predetermined bust shape andprovided on the lower of a fixed table, and a second cast, which isconvex in correspondence with the first cast and provided on anoperating table. The operating table enables the second cast to move upand down to the fixed table by an additional driving apparatus. Such amanufacturing apparatus forms a one-piece bra cup by heating or pressinga material, such as a sponge or a non-woven fabric, according to apredetermined shape.

However, since such a molded bra cup has a uniform density over theentire area thereof, as shown in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C, it cannotsufficiently support a weight of the bust and so the bust becomesmisshapen.

Accordingly, in order to sufficiently support the bust weight,reinforcing members, such as a wire or a liner, have been used at thelowermost round portion of the bra cup.

However, it is difficult to join such reinforcing members into themolded cup. Also, when such reinforcing members are joined into themolded cup, a user feels strained, embarrassed, and awkward due to thereinforcing members.

Further, although the reinforcing members are hidden by being insertedand sewn into the bra cup at a brassiere factory, such reinforcingmembers have sharpness enough to break the seam of the bra cup so thatthey have often become exposed. Also, a brassiere having suchreinforcing members is subject to be damaged or deformed by washing.

A molded brassiere appropriate for respective fashionable or functionaltendencies has been desired.

Particularly, when the bust has too a large size to become volume up orpushed up, a molded brassiere capable of minimizing the size of the bustas well as shaping the bust has been severely desired.

The above information disclosed in this Background section is only forenhancement of understanding of the background of the invention andtherefore it may contain information that does not form the prior artthat is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill inthe art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a moldedbrassiere and a manufacturing apparatus and method thereof havingadvantages of providing a natural and comfortable feeling andeffectively supporting a bust.

An exemplary molded brassiere cup manufacturing apparatus according toan embodiment of the present invention includes a wound roller forconsecutively supplying upper and lower cloths and a reinforcing padcloth interleaved between the upper and lower cloths, a puncturing unitfor puncturing at least one position checking hole at a predeterminedposition of the cloth supplied from the wound roller, a molding unithaving upper and lower molding casts formed in correspondence with apredetermined bust shape, a cooling unit having upper and lower coolingcasts, and a cutting unit having first upper and lower cutting castsformed in correspondence with the predetermined bust shape and secondupper and lower cutting casts formed in correspondence with apredetermined reinforcing pad to be placed at the lower portion of thepredetermined bust shape, wherein the molding unit, the cooling unit,and the cutting unit each have at least one sensor for detecting theposition checking hole at the side thereof opposite to the cloth.

The molding unit may have first upper and lower molding casts formed incorrespondence with the predetermined bust shape and second upper andlower molding casts formed in correspondence with a predeterminedreinforcing pad to be placed at the lower portion of the predeterminedbust shape.

An exemplary molded brassiere cup manufacturing method according to anembodiment of the present invention includes consecutively supplying theupper and lower pad cloths and the interleaving reinforcing pad cloth ata predetermined distance between the upper and lower pad cloths,pressing and molding the upper and lower pad cloths and the reinforcingpad cloth interleaved therebetween into the form of a predetermined bracup, cooling the molded bra cup cloth at a predetermined temperature,and cutting the cooled bra cup cloth along the form of the predeterminedbra cup, wherein the respective steps are performed in relation to theposition checking hole when the position checking hole formed on theupper and lower pad cloths is detected.

The molded brassiere cup manufacturing method may further includepuncturing at least one position checking hole on the upper and lowerpad cloths considering the cup size of the brassiere, an insertingposition and angle of the reinforcing pad, a usage, and a function.

The reinforcing pad may be arranged at a position corresponding to theposition checking hole.

The molded brassiere cup manufacturing method may further includeintercepting at least a part of the first upper and lower molding casts,cooling casts, and cutting casts to expose second upper and lowermolding casts, cooling casts, and cutting casts in correspondence withthe form of the reinforcing pad.

The molded brassiere cup manufacturing method may further includeapplying adhesive to at least one surface of the reinforcing pad beforemolding.

An exemplary molded brassiere pad according to an embodiment of thepresent invention includes upper and lower pads being thin as a film,and a reinforcing pad having a predetermined strength partly includedbetween the upper and lower pads.

The reinforcing pad may be arranged at two or more positions between theupper and lower pads.

The reinforcing pad may be formed with the same material as that of theupper and lower pads.

The reinforcing pad may have a higher density and hardness than that ofthe upper and lower pads.

The reinforcing pad may be projected toward the front of the bra cupwith a predetermined shape and thickness.

The reinforcing pad may have a flat-eyebrow shape transversely placed atthe lower portion from the center of the bra cup.

Reinforcing pads may be transversely placed at the upper and lowerportions of the cup, and the upper reinforcing pad is smaller than thelower reinforcing pad.

The reinforcing pad may have a nose projected toward the center of thecup from the middle of the transversely long pad body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic view illustrating a conventional molding methodof a brassiere cup.

FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C are schematic views illustrating an unworn and aworn state of a conventional brassiere cup.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a brassiere cup manufacturingapparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a molding unit of a brassierecup according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are respectively schematic views illustrating a worn andan unworn state of a brassiere cup according to an exemplary embodimentof the present invention.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are respectively schematic views illustrating amanufacturing method of a brassiere cup according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are respectively schematic views illustrating abrassiere cup according to another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter bedescribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, a brassiere cup manufacturing apparatus 20 according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention is described in detailwith reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view illustrating a brassiere cup manufacturingapparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a molding unit of a brassierecup according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the brassiere cup manufacturingapparatus 20 may use a cloth S, such as a non-woven fabric, a wovenfabric, a sponge, and a raschel lace. Such a cloth is supplied accordingto a production line. That is, a cloth wound over a wound roller 22 maybe supplied when the wound roller 22 is rotated by a driving unit.

The brassiere cup manufacturing apparatus 20 includes a clothposition-controlling unit 60, a cloth-fixing unit 70, a molding unit 30,a cooling unit 40, and a cutting unit 50 along the production line.

The cloth position-controlling unit 60 includes a pair of upper andlower wound rollers (not shown). The cloth position-controlling unit 60is placed at the respective front and rear of the brassiere cupmanufacturing apparatus 20 such that the wound roller 22 supplies thecloth with a predetermined interval. The cloth position-controlling unit60 controls the position of the cloth using balance and tensiongenerated when the pairs of upper and lower rollers cooperate with eachother.

The cloth-fixing unit 70 presses the cloth, which the clothposition-controlling unit 60 precisely supplies onto a conveyer belt 28via the pressed rollers 24 and 26 to tightly fix the cloth onto theconveyer belt 28.

The molding unit 30 includes a pair of upper and lower molding casts 32and 36, and applies heat and pressure to the cloth S supplied by theconveyer belt 28. In this case, the cloth S is thermally fused at theperiphery of the upper and lower molding casts 32 and 36 to form a bracup in a desired shape.

The upper and lower molding casts 32 and 36 are respectively moved upand down along a guide rod (not shown) by a pneumatic cylinder orhydraulic cylinder 34, and are provided with a heater (not shown). Theheater is heated when a power is respectively applied thereto so thatthe upper and lower molding casts 32 and 36 are heated at apredetermined temperature.

In this case, the upper and lower molding casts 32 and 36 are preferablyheated in a range of 180□ to 220□ by the heater, and preferably mold abra cup at that temperature during 1 to 2 minutes. When the upper andlower molding casts 32 and 36 finish molding, the upper and lowermolding casts 32 and 36 are returned to their original positions by thepneumatic or hydraulic cylinder 34.

The cooling unit 40 is configured in correspondence with the moldingunit 30. The cooling unit 40 cools the thermally fused portion at theperiphery of the molded bra cup cloth, which is continuously transmittedby the conveyer belt 28. The cooling unit 40 includes upper and lowercooling casts 42 and 46 respectively moved up or down along a guide rod(not shown) by a pneumatic cylinder or hydraulic cylinder 44, the sameas the molding unit 30. The upper and lower cooling casts 42 and 46 havea circulation apparatus (not shown) mounted therein such that coolingwater is supplied to the molded bra cup cloth.

The cutting unit 50 cuts the cooled portion corresponding to thethermally fused portion at the periphery of the bra cup cloth, that isto say, it separates the cooled portion from the bra cup cloth. Theseparated bra cups are recovered.

The cutting unit 50 is configured in correspondence with the above-notedmolding unit 30 and cooling unit 40. Accordingly, the cutting unit 50includes upper and lower cutting casts 52 and 56. The upper and lowercutting casts 52 and 56 respectively have a cutter moved up and downalong a guide rod (not shown) by a pneumatic cylinder or hydrauliccylinder 54.

Also, the cutting unit 50 may further include first upper and lowercutting casts formed in correspondence with a predetermined bust shapeand second upper and lower cutting casts formed in correspondence with apredetermined reinforcing pad reinforcing the lower of the predeterminedbust shape, that is in correspondence with at least a part of the firstupper and lower cutting casts.

Such second upper and lower cutting casts may be formed in at least apart of the first upper and lower cutting casts.

In more detail, the first upper and lower cutting casts 52 and 56 mayinclude the second upper and lower cutting casts and therein such thatthe first upper and lower cutting casts 52 and 56 are converted to thesecond upper and lower cutting casts. Also, at least a part of the firstupper and lower cutting casts 52 and 56 may be intercepted. Accordingly,if necessary, the second upper and lower cutting casts may be exposed.

The upper and lower molding casts 32 and 36 or the upper and lowercooling casts 42 and 46 may further include first upper and lowermolding or cooling casts formed in correspondence with a predeterminedbust shape and second upper and lower molding or cooling casts formed incorrespondence with at least a part of the first upper and lower moldingor cooling casts.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 3, a reinforcing pad cloth S3, as well asthin upper and lower pad cloths S1 and S2, is supplied by the conveyerbelt 28 between a pair of upper and lower molding casts 32 and 36.

In order to fix the reinforcing pad cloth S3 at a predetermined positionbetween the upper and lower pad cloths S1 and S2, the clothposition-controlling unit 60 may include a puncturing portion 61 and aposition-controlling table 63.

The puncturing portion 61 punctures a position-checking hole 62 (seeFIG. 5) at a predetermined position of the cloth, determined by theparallel or rotating motion of the position-controlling table 63.

Such position-checking hole 62 is used as a standard point whichposition sensors 35, 45, and 55, such as an infrared sensor, included inthe molding unit 30, cooling unit 40, and cutting unit 50, use todetermine the exact molding point and cutting point when the cloth isflowed into the molding unit 30, cooling unit 40, and cutting unit 50.

The cloth-fixing unit 70 is further provided with an adhesive coater(not shown) at the front of the pressed rollers 24 and 26. The adhesivecoater applies adhesive to at least one surface of the reinforcing padcloth S3. This adhesive is designed to fix the reinforcing pad S3 at apredetermined position between the upper and lower pads S1 and S2. Whenthe reinforcing pad S3 applied with the adhesive is pressed between thepair of pressed rollers 24 and 26, the reinforcing pad cloth S3 may betightly fixed at a predetermined position between the upper and lowerpads S1 and S2.

Now, a brassiere cup manufacturing method according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention is described.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are respectively schematic views illustrating a worn andunworn state of a brassiere cup according to an exemplary embodiment ofthe present invention, and FIGS. 5A and 5B are respectively schematicviews illustrating a manufacturing method of a brassiere cup accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

First, the cloth S is supplied from the wound roller 22, the puncturingunit 61 punctures the position-checking hole 62 in the cloth S,considering a predetermined size of the bra cup and a position to bereinforced on the bra cup or the like.

When the bra cup cloth has the position-checking hole 62 therein, thecloth does not pass through the molding unit 30 and the cooling unit 40,but is directly transmitted to the cutting unit 50. If necessary, thecloth may pass through all of the molding unit 30, the cooling unit 40,and the cutting unit 50 so as to form the reinforcing pad S3.

When the reinforcing pad S3 is formed with a cubic effect by passingthrough the molding unit 30, the cooling unit 40, and the cutting unit50, the final bra cup enables the bust to be supported, pushed up, andshaped into a desired shape.

The cutting unit 50 cuts the reinforcing pad S3 in a predeterminedpattern using the second upper and lower cutting casts when the positionsensor 55 detects the position-checking hole 62.

The reinforcing pad S3 formed in this manner is continuously interleavedbetween the upper and lower pad cloths S1 and S2. In this case, thereinforcing pad S3 may be separately formed or consecutively formed. Thereinforcing pad S3 is placed at a predetermined position between theupper and lower pads S1 and S2 on the basis of the position-checkinghole 62. Further, the adhesive coater applies adhesive to at least onesurface of the reinforcing pad S3, and the cloth S fixed with thereinforcing pad S3 at a predetermined position between the upper andlower pads S1 and S2 is passed through the pressed rollers 24 and 26.

The cloth S passes through the pressed rollers 24 and 26 in this mannerand flows into the molding unit 30 while spread at the tensioned state,as shown in FIG. 5A.

When the reinforcing pad S3 formed in this manner is continuouslyinterleaved between the upper and lower pad cloths S1 and S2, theinserting area of the reinforcing pad S3 for the respective bra cup areamay be controlled by placing the reinforcing pad S3 with a predetermineddistance A from the upper end of the upper and lower pad cloths S1 andS2 (vertically measured with respect to the direction in which the clothmoves).

As shown in FIG. 5B, when the piled-up cloths are input into the moldingunit 30 and the infrared sensor 35 detects the position-checking hole62, in correspondence with the exact molding position, the molding unit30 molds a predetermined bra cup shape in the piled-up cloths by theupper and lower casts 32 and 36.

Likewise, the cooling unit 40 and the cutting unit 50 respectively mayalso cool or cut the predetermined bra cup shape from the piled-upcloths using the upper and lower cooling and cutting casts 42, 46 and52, 56 in correspondence with the exact cooling or cutting position,when the infrared sensors 45 and 55 detect the position-checking hole62.

Accordingly, a brassiere cup 10′ formed according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention includes the reinforcing pad S3placed transversely long at the lower portion of the cup 10′, as shownin FIG. 4A and FIG. 4. Such a brassiere cup 10′ can provide a naturaland comfortable feeling to the wearer and can effectively support thebust. In this case, the upper and lower pads S1 and S2 may be formedwith a non-woven fabric, a woven fabric, a sponge, a raschel lace, orthe like, and are preferably formed thin due to being piled up one onanother in comparison with the conventional bra pad, and the reinforcingpad S3 may be formed with a non-woven fabric, a woven fabric, a sponge,a raschel lace, or the like, as the upper and lower pads S1 and S2, soas to provide a natural feeling and is preferably formed with a higherdensity cloth than that of the upper and lower pads S1 and S2 so as toincrease support.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are respectively schematic views illustrating abrassiere cup according to another exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, a brassiere cup according to anotherexemplary embodiment of the present invention may include various shapesof reinforcing pad S3′ according to user taste, design, and function.

For example, when a bust is required to be volumed up, a reinforcing padS3′ having a higher density and hardness may be formed while projectedtoward the front thereof with a predetermined shape or thickness betweenthe upper and lower pads S1 and S2, as shown in FIG. 6A.

Meanwhile, when a bust is required to be minimized and to seem convextoward the center thereof, a reinforcing pad S3′ having a higher densityand hardness may be transversely placed at the lower portion from thecenter of the bra cup as a film. In this case, the reinforcing pad S3′may have a nose projected toward the center of the cup from the middleof the transversely long pad body.

Also, as shown in FIG. 6B, a reinforcing pad S3″ may further beinterleaved at various positions between the upper and lower pads S1 andS2 according to a user taste, a design, and a function. In this case,reinforcing pads S3″ may be transversely placed at the upper portions ofthe bra cup, and the upper reinforcing pad S3″ is smaller than the lowerreinforcing pad S3.

While this invention has been described in connection with what ispresently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover variousmodifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

As described above, a reinforced brassiere cup manufacturing apparatusaccording to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention canperform an exact molding and cutting by precisely fixing the reinforcingpads to the cloth using the position-checking holes 62 consecutivelyformed at a predetermined position of the cloth so as to place areinforcing pad S3 at a predetermined position between the upper andlower pads S1 and S2.

A brassiere cup 10′ formed in this manner can provide a natural andcomfortable feeling to the wearer and can effectively support aloosening of the bust, occurring due to the bust weight, with homogenousreinforcing pads.

Also, a reinforced brassiere cup manufacturing method according to anexemplary embodiment of the present invention can consecutively producethe reinforced brassiere cup using the conventional brassiere cupmanufacturing apparatus and effectively determine the interleavedposition of the reinforcing pad.

1. A brassiere cup manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a wound rollerfor consecutively supplying upper and lower cloths and a reinforcing padcloth interleaved between the upper and lower cloths; a puncturing unitfor puncturing at least one position checking hole at a predeterminedposition of the cloth supplied from the wound roller; a molding unithaving upper and lower molding casts formed in correspondence with apredetermined bust shape; a cooling unit having upper and lower coolingcasts; and a cutting unit having first upper and lower cutting castsformed in correspondence with a predetermined bust shape and secondupper and lower cutting casts formed in correspondence with apredetermined reinforcing pad to be placed at the lower portion of thepredetermined bust shape, wherein the molding unit, the cooling unit,and the cutting unit have at least one sensor for detecting the positionchecking hole at the side thereof opposite to the cloth.
 2. Thebrassiere cup manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the moldingunit has first upper and lower molding casts formed in correspondencewith a predetermined bust shape and second upper and lower molding castsformed in correspondence with a predetermined reinforcing pad to beplaced at the lower portion of the predetermined bust shape.
 3. Abrassiere cup manufacturing method comprising: consecutively supplyingupper and lower pad cloths and a reinforcing pad cloth interleaving at apredetermined distance between the upper and lower pad cloths; pressingand molding the upper and lower pad cloths and the reinforcing pad clothinterleaved therebetween into the form of a predetermined bra cup shape;cooling the molded bra cup cloth at a predetermined temperature; cuttingthe cooled bra cup cloth along the form of the predetermined bra cupshape, wherein the respective steps are performed with respect to aposition checking hole when the position checking hole formed on theupper and lower pad cloths is detected.
 4. The brassiere cupmanufacturing method of claim 3 further comprising puncturing at leastone position checking hole on the upper and lower pad cloths consideringthe cup size of the brassiere, an inserting position and angle of thereinforcing pad, a usage, and a function.
 5. The brassiere cupmanufacturing method of claim 4, wherein the reinforcing pad is arrangedat a position corresponding to the position checking hole.
 6. Thebrassiere cup manufacturing method of claim 5, further comprisingintercepting at least a part of the first upper and lower molding casts,cooling casts, and cutting casts to expose second upper and lowermolding casts, cooling casts, and cutting casts in correspondence withthe form of the reinforcing pad.
 7. The brassiere cup manufacturingmethod of claim 5, further comprising applying adhesive to at least onesurface of the reinforcing pad before molding.
 8. A brassiere cup,comprising upper and lower pads being thin, and a reinforcing pad havinga predetermined strength partly arranged between the upper and lowerpads.
 9. The brassiere cup of claim 8 wherein reinforcing pads arearranged at two or more positions between the upper and lower pads. 10.The brassiere cup of claim 8 wherein the reinforcing pad is formed withthe same material as that of the upper and lower pads.
 11. The brassierecup of claim 10 wherein the reinforcing pad has a higher density andhardness than that of the upper and lower pads.
 12. The brassiere cup ofclaim 8 wherein the reinforcing pad is projected toward the frontthereof with a predetermined shape and thickness.
 13. The brassiere cupof claim 8 wherein the reinforcing pad has a flat-eyebrow shapetransversely placed at a lower portion from the center of the bra cup.14. The brassiere cup of claim 8 wherein reinforcing pads aretransversely placed at upper and lower portions of the cup, and theupper reinforcing pad is smaller than the lower reinforcing pad.
 15. Thebrassiere cup of claim 8 wherein the reinforcing pad has a noseprojected toward the center of the cup from the middle of thetransversely long pad body.